Top World News
Syrian insurgents capture four central towns as government forces reclaim some territory
Syrian opposition activists say insurgents have captured four new towns, bringing them closer to the central city of Hama
Thailand's prime minister expects fishermen seized by Myanmar to be repatriated soon
Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra says her government is negotiating with neighboring Myanmar for the return of four fishermen captured by Myanmar’s navy for trespassing
New Lego characters aim to represent hidden disabilities such as autism
Company says it hopes sunflower lanyard will help people ‘embrace diversity, value inclusivity and remove stigma’Lego is introducing several characters who wear sunflower lanyards to its brick universe for the first time to raise awareness of a badge worn to indicate someone has a hidden disability such as autism.The world’s biggest toymaker is keen to make its brick world better reflect reality and in recent years has added characters of different skin tones and cultures, as well as physical and non-visible disabilities. Figures with limb differences, Down’s syndrome, anxiety and vitiligo have also been warmly received by children. Continue reading...
A rare ceremony in Thailand marks the king's auspicious 72nd birthday
Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn on Tuesday presided over a parade that saw the queen lead hundreds of military personnel in honor of his 72nd birthday
Trump vows to kill Nippon Steel bid to buy U.S. Steel
In a development likely to embarrass Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, President-elect Donald Trump has dealt what may be a mortal blow to Nippon Steel's proposed $13 billion buyout of U.S. Steel.
Dozens of Tamils arrive in UK after three years stranded on Diego Garcia
Lawyers and campaigners hail removal of 47 people from remote Indian Ocean island as ‘a big day for justice’Dozens of people stranded in hellish conditions for more than three years on the remote Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia have touched down in the UK.Lawyers and campaigners hailed the arrival of 47 Sri Lankan Tamils on Monday night as a “big day for justice”, with a further eight arriving on Tuesday morning from Rwanda, where they had been receiving medical treatment. Twelve children were among them. Continue reading...
NATO's chief avoids talk of Ukraine's membership, says the priority is helping Kyiv defend itself
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Tuesday sidestepped questions about Ukraine's possible membership of the military alliance, saying that the priority now must be to strengthen the country's hand in any future peace talks with Russia by sending it more weapons.
U.K.'s Starmer welcomes Greek leader for talks but says Parthenon Marbles are not on the agenda
Greece's prime minister is in London on Tuesday for his first top-level U.K. meeting since a spat last year over the contested Parthenon Marbles.
Five things you probably didn't know about Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris
Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral has some surprising stories to tell before it reopens this weekend after five years of restoration
Trump says he'll attend Notre Dame Cathedral reopening celebration in Paris this weekend
President-elect Donald Trump will attend the reopening celebration for Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris this weekend, his first foreign trip since the election.
Zimbabwe court rules against law that denies abortion to marital rape victims and girls below 18
A Zimbabwean High Court judge has ruled that provisions of a law that deny abortion services to women raped by their husbands and girls under the age of 18 are unconstitutional
Seizure of Aleppo threatens Moscow’s foothold in Syria – and the wider region
Assault on Syria’s second-largest city by Islamist militants may tarnish Russia’s reputation as a global playerThe walls of the military office in Aleppo were adorned with pictures of the Kremlin, flanked by Russian and Syrian flags hanging side by side. On the desks, documents detailing the cooperation between the two nations lay abandoned – telltale signs of Bashar al-Assad’s forces’ hasty retreat as rebels closed in on Syria’s second-biggest city over the weekend.The short clip circulating online was recorded in the office of Russian advisers at Aleppo’s military academy after it was taken by rebels in a surprise offensive. It highlights the escalating threat to the Assad regime and, by extension, to Moscow’s strategic foothold in Syria and the broader region. Continue reading...
